


Cold Blooded

by Theskittypink



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Found Family, Gen, Humor, M/M, No Persona AU, Past Abuse, Pirates, Shuake Big Bang 2020, goros backstory is dark but its mostly glossed over i swear this is 95 percent fluff, mermaid au, reference to suicide, shido is a fucking scumbag, tsundere mer goro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:02:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25829362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Theskittypink/pseuds/Theskittypink
Summary: There was no hope of survival for those who could not adapt...Which was why Goro was doing a terrible job of it. He had spent his entire life in captivity, and in a desperate gamble to survive, he becomes a 'prisoner' yet again.
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 8
Kudos: 101
Collections: Shuake Big Bang 2020





	Cold Blooded

Winter was coming; he knew that, at least. The cold wind blew over the top of the water. When the sea spray hit his face it _hurt_ , and all the humans on the fishing boats he saw were bundled in their stupid brightly-colored coats. He’d picked a fucking spectacular time to escape, hadn’t he?

He had overheard from some of the sailors that other Mers swam to warmer climates when the winter came. Or stuck close to a mate that could warm them. Goro had neither of those. He didn’t know which way was north, let alone had a pod— or _anyone_ that could help him. He was alone. It was him and the occasional ship that crossed his path, and the last thing he needed was to get caught on another one of those.

But… But that might be his only option. He had trouble hunting at the best of times. Now? With the fish gone? There were days he would go without eating at all.

He thought long and hard. He needed to move, at the very least he needed to move. Eventually food would run out, or he would freeze to death, whichever came first. At the moment, food was a more pressing issue. He would probably have to stow away on a fishing vessel or a trading one. He would have to steal to live, but humans wouldn't miss one fish out of hundreds, and a ship would be warm! Even if he couldn't get to a warmer climate, he wouldn’t be trapped in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

And so, he made his plan. He began studying the ships that passed, ignoring both small and especially large ones, then following some before abandoning that train of thought, and abandoning others immediately.

Then he found it. The one. The ‘Phantom’s Heart’. A modern-looking vessel with dark metal sides, and at the same time, no smokestacks. It was a bit larger than average— Actually, much larger, which should have scared him, but for some reason it didn't, and, trusting his gut, he gave it a chance. He was strong, and with enough effort, Mer claws could cut through steel. There were also plenty of ropes hanging down. He could easily climb aboard. Finally, the boat never seemed to go to shore, at least within the time he’d been stalking it. That meant that people could live on it, at least temporarily, which meant it would be _warm_.

He followed the ship until the people on board threw out the anchor for the night, and he made his move. He found the area where the ship rode the lowest, flexing his hands. The webbing between his fingers certainly didn’t help. He was a Mer for god’s sake, not a monkey, but he did manage to haul himself up to ropes, and then onto the deck. He heard shouting, and quickly, he slithered out of sight, dragging himself behind a collection of crates.

Food. Where was there food? He tilted his head up, drawing in the air. Nothing but salt. He needed to get into the belly of the ship somehow. Nothing here was useful to him, and the longer he stayed out of the water, the colder he would become. Another person was shouting; if he stayed any longer he would probably be caught.

He peeked out from behind the crates. The deck was lit up by a bright light from higher up on the ship, and a blonde woman was barking angrily, flashlight in hand.

“Ryuji. Ready the cannon.”

Another blond, this one a man, stared at her. “You're effing nuts. You know that, right?”

“Yeah, and I’m pretty sure someone is on _my_ ship. And we stole this stuff fair and square. I don't want them to take it back.”

“Sounds more like you're paranoid.”

“It isn’t paranoia if something is actually going on, _Ryuji_ ,” the woman said, insistently.

“What if it's one of Shithead’s goons?” he countered.

“You think they would be that quiet?”

While the two argued, Goro scanned for a door. This was his easy opportunity to escape. Slithering around the crates behind the two sailors, he made his way to the back of the ship and into the depths. He sniffed again, pressing against the floor, catching the faint scent of fish.

He followed it. He _needed_ it. His hand clenched around the doorknob, almost tearing the door off its hinges. He was feeling it now, the exhaustion, the hunger. He couldn't wait to curl up and just eat. The room he emerged into was long and brightly lit, cabinets lined the walls, and there was a long table down the middle. His stomach growled; the fish smell was close. He scanned the room, nose guiding him, dragging him ever further until he saw it. His holy grail. A metal bucket, filled with several fish swimming about. He promptly ravaged the bucket, blissfully enjoying the feeling of crunching down on bone and having a full meal for once. He yawned. The room was plenty warm. He could fall asleep right here on the floor. He coiled up tightly, dumping the last of the bucket over himself. Sleeping here was fine. He would just need to wake up early and find a better hiding spot tomorrow.

* * *

He was rudely awoken by the sound of someone screaming. He poked his head up, scanning the room.

“WHAT THE EFF?!” Goro recognized the voice; it was one of the blond sailors from yesterday. Carefully, he uncoiled himself, peaking around the corner. A mop flew past his head.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANN!” The man ran out of the room, slamming the door. Goro cringed; the man was loud.

A few moments later the man returned, dragging another man with him.

“Ren, you need to see this shit.”

The other person yawned. “Ryuji, it is three am.”

“REN THERE'S A GIANT FUCKING SNAKE.”

“Oh my god,” Ren sighed. “Ryuji, snakes don't live in the ocean.”

“I KNOW WHAT I SAW!” he screamed. “It was huge, man. I threw the mop at it.”

Ren groaned. “All right, all right. I’ll take a look.”

 _Shit. SHIT_. He was going to be seen— He was going to be found!

A man rounded the corner, then stared at Goro.

The new man, whose name he assumed was Ren, was… incredibly attractive. Tall, fit, he probably radiated body heat. His shirt was unbuttoned, clearly put on in a rush; maybe the man slept shirtless? He ran a hand through frizzy black hair. Around his neck was a pretty necklace, made from a collection of shells, shark teeth, and sea glass. He couldn’t help but stare.

“Ryuji. That’s a Merman. Not a snake,” he said, cautiously.

“Huh?” Ryuji joined his companion, looking him up and down. “What the hell.”

“He’s probably what Ann heard earlier,” Ren reasoned.

“Dammit. Now she’s gonna hold that over me,” Ryuji grumbled. “What the hell are we supposed to do with this? IT’S A MER!”

“Don't yell,” Ren hissed. “You know how they can get.”

So they were lost… Good, maybe he still had a chance.

What on earth was he supposed to do here?! He could flee, but… They had legs, there was no way he could outrun them. And besides, that meant his chances of survival would basically be none. He could threaten them, but where would he end up then? Dead? Back in the ocean? Starving and freezing? Maybe they would eat him. He had heard humans on the other ship joke about it. There was one option here. A… very humiliating option, but when it came to survival, his best option... He let out a high-pitched chirp. He blinked innocently, tilting his head slightly.

Ren stared at him suspiciously. He blinked, trying to press himself against the ground. _Cmon, buy it! Buy it! I’m just a soft, friendly Mer!_ He let out another chirp.

“Uhhhhhhh.” Ryuji stared at him, before looking at Ren in confusion. “Dude. I thought you said these buggers liked to skin people alive.”

“They do,” Ren replied, “look at the fish. Absolutely decimated. Real apex predator here.” He laughed. Goro fought back a scowl. How dare he mock his puppy face. He was fucking adorable!

Ren unwound slightly, approaching him and slowly kneeling down next to him.

“Yes, we’re talking about you,” Ren cooed, reaching out a hand to him, then pausing, simply holding it face-up near him...

Goro stared. What...was he supposed to do here? For a moment, he wanted to bite it, but decided against it. “Don't eat the hand that feeds you.” That...was the saying, right? He studied the hand; his nails were well-maintained. He waited, and yet Ren didn’t move.

“It’s okay,” he said, “I'm not going to hurt you.”

“Does he even know what you're saying, dude?” Ryuji asked.

“It doesn't really matter,” Ren replied, still not moving. “I’d just prefer to deal with a calm Mer.”

“What do you think he's going to do? Rub his face against your hand like a cat?”

So that's what he wanted. Moving forward cautiously, Goro pressed his cheek against Ren’s hand. It was horribly humiliating, fully leaning into the role of a pet, and he had to fight back against his face turning red. He let out a long trill.

“Awww.” Ren cradled his face. “You're really cute? You know that?”

Goro chirped, rubbing up against his hand more. If he focused hard enough, he could almost fool himself into thinking he enjoyed it. It was warm. Goro appreciated warmth. Ren gave his chin a little scratch.

“It’s all right, Ryuji, I'll take care of it,” Ren said, before turning to him. “All right, buddy, we’re gonna have to move you.”

Moving slowly, Ren wrapped his arms around him (Goro noted that he was careful to not crush any of his fins) and lifted him off the ground. Goro tensed, but Ren was careful.

Ren carried him through halls and into a small room, before setting him down in a large tub. He turned a knob, and water began to fill it.

“You're probably freezing, right?” he said. “This should help.”

Sure enough, the water was hot.

The water continued to run, being the only sound in the background, as the two stared at each other. He had been caught. Once again. He was a prisoner, contained not only in this room but in his facade as well.

Goro stared at the ceiling. So…this was what it had come to. Pretending to be a sad hurt little puppy.

* * *

Ren's first thought was how small the Merman was, even _in_ the water... No, not small, he sometimes forgot that the tropical Mers that lived near the surface instead of miles underwater tended to be on the skinnier and longer side. Then again, they were rarely _this_ skinny. Honestly, he was different from every other Merperson Ren had seen, let alone tropical.

He was pale, which was one of the most striking oddities. Most tropical Mers spent a lot of time in the sun, or only a few feet submerged, so most naturally had some kind of tan. Not him. He looked like he had never really seen the sun...ever.

Ren turned up the hot water, and the Mer let out a sharp chirp, ducking his head under and letting a shiver run along his entire body, not unlike the way a cat did after a stretch. He gradually loosened up, revealing the next biggest oddity.

He had noted it back in the kitchen, even when he was coiled in on himself, but it was still odd. Most Mers had a single color to their tails, and if they had another it was usually a gradual ombre shift. A stark contrast to this Mer’s seemingly-random white and black stripes. The actual fin at the end of the tail was large and billowed out, like a layered dress. Parts of it shimmered like specks of gold. It was like looking at an overgrown beta fish.

There were more fins, some protruding from his tail, others from his arms. His hands were clawed and webbed. Multiple tendrils trailed out from along his hips and parts of his tail, blossoming out even farther and filling the tub with a sea of black, white, and even some red. Resting just under his ears were ruffled fins that Ren knew could absolutely open and flare out the same way a lizard’s would. And the way his hair was cut, which was incredibly short for a Mer, was messy and choppy, as if it had been done in under a minute with a pair of craft scissors.

The most concerning thing, even more so than how skinny or pale he was...was the lack of a protective necklace. It didn't matter who they were, that was something every single Mer should have, and he didn't.

So Ren was right. He was probably an escapee. The Mer looked at him, head slightly tilted. Eyes wide and innocent. _I know you’re faking it,_ he couldn’t help but think.

“So umm…” he began, “I do need to tell the Captain about you...and they’ll probably want to see you. But they’re nice, really, there’s nothing for you to worry about.”

The Mer stared at him. For a moment, he looked terrified, but it quickly glazed over. Back to the same cute act.

He chirped.

“I’ll get you more food soon, too,” Ren said, turning off the water. “For now you can just...relax.”

The Mer trilled softly. Then shifted slightly, sending a small wave of water over the edge of the tub.

“Sorry, I know it’s small,” Ren said sadly. “I’ll see if I can figure something better out tomorrow.”

The Mer stared at him with wide innocent eyes.

“I really can’t do anything! Ann would kill me if she found a random Mer in the pool.”

The Mer sunk into the water, only half of his face above it, maintaining eye contact.

Ren pet his head, before turning off the water.

“I'll see you tomorrow, okay? The water won’t cool down; you’ll be fine… Just...try and get some rest.”

Carefully, he turned the bathroom light off and shut the door behind him.

Ren sighed. He was going to have to wake Ann up and tell her about the stowaway. He knew the little Merman was putting on a show for all of them, but dammit, it was working. Maybe Ann was right and he really was too soft. Reduced to a cooing mess by some literally meaningless chirping. He cracked the door to Ann’s room open, then made a light humming sound to cover any noise.

Ann was lying sprawled across the bed like a starfish, snoring softly. In its own way, it was beautiful. But that was more Ann’s raw talent at being photogenic at all times than anything.

“Ann?” he hissed. “I need to talk to you about something.”

She snorted in her sleep.

“I’m being serious,” he said, a bit louder. “Ann, wake up.”

“Wha?” She rolled over, giving him a look. “Ren, it’s like...three in the morning.”

“I promise it won’t take long,” Ren said.

With a long sigh, she sat up. “What is it?”

“Remember earlier, when you said you heard something or someone on the ship?” Ren asked. “Ryuji found them.”

Ann was fully awake now. “He did? Who was it? What happened?”

“It was a Merman— Er...tropical, he stole our fish. I think he was probably an escapee from somewhere. He’s in the tub for now,” Ren explained. “He...looked really unhealthy.”

“So you’re just taking care of him,” Ann said.

“Yeah,” Ren replied. “He’s acting all cute right now. I’m soft.”

“Awww. Someone has a crush on the mysterious stowaway~” she teased, with a trill in her voice.

“Ann.”

“I kid, I kid! I was just teasing, you know that. Thanks for telling me.”

“So it’s fine?” Ren said. “What I did? I can throw him out.”

“What? No, you’re fine! But,I wanna see him,” Ann said firmly.

“I knew you were going to say that,” he sighed. “If we can, I want to move him to somewhere bigger as soon as possible. He’s too big for the tub and I want to actually be able to take a shower.”

“We can talk about it tomorrow. I want to see him first.”

Ren smiled. “Thanks, Ann.”

“It's no problem.”

* * *

“Ren, what the fuck is this?”

The next morning, Ann had unceremoniously woken him up, demanding to see “the stowaway” Who she was now looking at in horror.

The Mer looked at her indignantly.

“No, seriously,” she said, “what the hell. I know you said unhealthy. I didn't think you meant ‘probably should be dead’.”

“Ann. Don't just say it to his face.”

“Ren. I… How do I say this… He's… How did Futaba put it, greasy? Overgrown? Oh, and also so underfed I’m surprised he isn't doubled over.”

The Mer clicked aggressively, and he flared out slightly, glaring at the both of them.  
“C’mon, Ann," Ren said softly, tugging at her arm. "We can talk about it outside.”

“No. We're staying right here,” she responded flatly.

The Mer shrank back into the water, away from her.

“I’m… I’m sorry,” Ann said. “I feel awful about it. But look how overgrown he is. That isn't _healthy_. I want to strangle whoever decided to kidnap a Mer and keep him like that. It's a wonder he’s still alive.”

“It’s that bad?” Ren asked. “I know he looked unhealthy, but...”

“Mer ribbons are like hair. They’re constantly growing,” Ann explained, “and if they’re not properly maintained they get all twisted and knotted and out of control. It’s like how if you don't cut your hair at least once in a while the ends get all ratty and split. And speaking of hair, it’s cut so choppily and unevenly, it's clear whoever.. _.ya know,_ doesn’t know jack shit about Mers.” Ann spat the last part, both seething and highly uncomfortable, deliberately leaving a gap where the word ‘owned’ was supposed to go.

“I...really want to cut his hair. At least,” she decided. “He needs something.”

“He needs food before you persecute him for crimes against fashion,” Ren said.

“He gets food when he stops committing crimes against fashion!”

The Mer hissed softly.

“I’m going to get them,” Ann declared, marching off and returning a few minutes later with a red-handled pair of scissors that Ren recognized as her good pair, as well as a small bag of shells.

As soon as the Mer spotted the blades, he hissed, flaring out aggressively.

“Ooo~ scary,” Ann said. “Ren, do you mind holding him?”

The Mer hissed louder, eyes wide.

“Ann. you’re scaring him.”

Ann frowned. “I’m not going to hurt you,” she said plainly. “I’m giving you a haircut.”

He stopped hissing, fins still flared. Ren knelt down near the tub, before offering his hand to the Mer. He stared at it, before half-heartedly resting his chin there.

Ann was careful; she always was when it came to hair, and, despite the Mer’s protests, he had a clean cut in around ten minutes. She then began to braid parts of it, weaving in a few shells and pearls.

“See?” Ann asked, pointing at the mirror. “Doesn’t that look better?”

The Mer studied himself and smiled. It was cute.

“All right. Ribbon time,” Ann said, reaching for his tail.

The Mer quickly slipped away, sending a wave towards her, hissing again.

And then he spoke. For the first time since the Mer had come on the ship, he spoke. It was hissy, high pitched, similar to the chirps and trills he had been communicating in before, but structured.

“ _Don't touch them._ ”

Ann stared at him intently. “So you can talk,” she said, carefully, in Japanese.

The Mer stared back.

“Well?” she asked.

The Mer narrowed his eyes. He hissed again, baring sharp teeth.

“ _Fine,_ ” Ann said, switching to her own chirps. “ _You want Oceanic. We can talk Oceanic_.”

“ _You...can speak it…_ ” The Mer stared, eyes wide.

“ _Duh. Of course I can_ ,” Ann said. “ _I know I don't look it. But I’m also a Mer. And the Captain of a pirate ship. Why wouldn’t I?_ ”

“ _You’re a pirate….and...a Mer...how…_ ”

Ren had to fight back laughter. Ann looked so smug; the Mer’s jaw hung wide.

“ _I get that a lot,_ ” Ann said.

“ _You have legs,_ ” he said bluntly.

“ _Oh, these things?_ ” Ann asked playfully. “ _Yeah_.”

The Mer sank into the water, submerging every part of himself except his head. Despite being mostly hidden by the ribbon-like fins, it was clear he was curling in on himself,

“ _You’re more fluent than I am…_ ” he said sadly.

Ann was quiet for a moment, before asking, ” _Why don't you want the ribbons cut?_ ”

“Why do you think? They’re fins,” he hissed. “ _Why would I want you to?_ ”

“ _They’ll grow back. And I promise it won’t hurt!_ ” Ann replied. “ _I cut mine all the time._ ”

The Mer looked horrified, and Ann laughed.

“ _Have you never cut them?_ ” she asked. “ _That explains why they’re so long._ ”

The Mer looked away, ashamed.

“ _Hey, don't be sad!_ ” Ann said. “ _I can cut them! It’s like the haircut. Just a trim._ ”

The Mer nodded, and Ann got to work. She was careful, incredibly careful. Trimming off the edges where they had gotten twisted and torn, plucking them from the water as she went. By the time she was done, she had a sizable pile next to the tub.

“ _What do you want me to do with these?_ ” she asked. “ _Throw them out?_ ”

“ _Overboard_ ,” the Mer said firmly.

Wrapping them up in a towel, she handed the bundle to Ren. “Do you mind?” she asked. “And food. I’m sure Yusuke has at least gotten started on something by now.”

Ren sighed, but nodded. Already the Mer looked healthier and more lively; in a few days he might feel safe enough to drop the innocent act around more than just Ann.

Honestly, Ren was more intrigued by how long the Mer would be able to maintain his cute persona.

* * *

Okay. So. Maybe he had misjudged that situation. That was okay! Most plans needed to be adjusted in the middle of the action! This in no way reflected badly on him. It was not embarrassing in the slightest to get a makeover and be told that he looked like a barnacle. Sure, Ren hadn’t lied about his captain. It turned out that she was actually nice. But he felt…wrong. He didn’t need people to take care of him! He didn’t need people to tell him how to take care of himself! He escaped hell! On his own! He lived for ~~about a week~~ — weeks! On his own!

...who was he kidding? He couldn’t do this. He was just a fish at the end of the day. A prisoner or a pet. Something a child would beg their parents for, then forget about after a week. Hell, the first time he had seen the sun had been when he finally escaped that tank.

Goro couldn’t even remember a time before that stupid tank. The tank that was so small that eventually his whole body couldn’t fit in a straight line along the wall… Well, maybe it wasn’t the tiny tank. Maybe it was just that he got big. But he remembered his mom complaining about it every other day. How empty and small it was, the only things other than them being mounds of sand and plants.

He remembered the room, too. It was lined with pictures in wooden frames and bookshelves. Facing away from the tank was a desk. The man, his and his mother’s captor, sat at that desk day in and day out, working with papers or a weird flat light-up thing that he later learned was called a laptop. Sometimes, more often than not, he got so bored that he tried to read the text on the paper or the laptop. It usually made no sense to him. “Economy” didn’t even sound like a real word, But it was something new. Eventually, he dug out some of the sand and piled it against the front of the tank. Not only did it give him some form of privacy, but when he wanted to watch the man do his work he didn’t have to press against the glass; carefully keeping himself level, he could lay flat against the sand.

His mom had been the one to teach him human letters— the weird symbols that they used for their own language. She taught him the language of the ocean, too. It...was all she could teach him. Things that could be verbally communicated or drawn in the sand.

He remembered when she tried to teach him how to make something from the plants in the tank. He couldn’t remember exactly what it was, but in the middle of her explanation the tank was opened up, and a human came in, yanking it from her hands and screaming. She had screamed back, covering his ears. Curling herself around him protectively. Afterward, she always cried. Always apologized that she couldn’t do better, that she couldn’t get them a better life.

One day, out of curiosity, he had asked who his father was. His mother’s eyes had glazed over, and she just stared into the room. Goro never asked again.

And he never blamed her for anything.

Never blamed her as every lesson she tried to teach him was ripped away  
As everything she tried to give him was torn apart.  
As she slowly wasted away.  
And it was all his fault. He knew. Goro knew it was all his fault. He had robbed his mother of her freedom, and her life.

How could he? She was all he had.

In a way, the crew of the ship reminded him of his mother. Loosely, not really. It was more in the way they didn’t stare at him like he was an attraction. Which was more than he could say about his previous captor’s ‘guests’. Aside from Ann and Ren, there was Futaba, the short one with the orange hair who barely paid attention to him at all. The brown-haired, tough-looking woman named Makoto, who eyed him with suspicion and tended to avoid the room. Ryuji, the loud blond brute who mistook him for a snake then threw a mop at him. And once, he saw a tall man with blue hair. He believed his name was Yusuke, but he couldn’t exactly ask, and frankly, he didn't care about asking.

As for the captain and Ren themselves, they...weren’t the worst company. Ann, he could actually speak to— was forced to speak to thanks to foolishly revealing his knowledge of the language. And Ren...had a comforting presence. Maybe it was the fact that he had a lot of body heat to spare. And having someone scratch the little spot behind his face fins was nice.

And he really liked when Ren pulled him out of the tub and took him down the hall to an even bigger pool of water. That was really nice….he had almost purred.

Honestly, one thing led to another and Ren had just offered to stay the night...at the pool. And Goro was going to use that to its fullest. He watched Ren drag a bundle of pillows and blankets down and set them up nearby into a makeshift bed... He looked at Goro questioningly.

“Do you want to come up here?”

Goro chirped, pulling himself up onto the ledge, letting Ren do the rest of the work.

Goro curled against him. Blankets felt...incredibly odd against him, unnatural. He coiled around Ren more; the warmth was worth the weird feeling. Ren was already fast asleep. It was impressive how quickly it had happened, considering he was essentially sitting on the floor. He was snoring peacefully, and Goro couldn’t help but lay his head against his chest. Physical contact wasn’t something he realized he needed in his life until now, and it was going to become a drug. He shifted so he could stare at the man’s sleeping face.

“Have you grown suspicious of me?” he asked, quietly. “What's your plan in all of this?"

Ren shifted in his sleep, and let out a low rumbling noise. Goro froze, listening intently. That sound. It was familiar in a way he couldn’t quite place, but at the same time struck him to his very core. A low whine escaped his own throat. Ren blinked awake, a melodic yawn escaping him.

“Oh, you’re still up?” he asked, shifting to a more upright position.

Goro couldn’t help himself. “And you’re a Mer?” he asked.

Ren smirked. “And you can speak Japanese,” he said, smartly.

Goro froze, before scowling. Dammit. He had been caught. He had been caught for a week. “You knew the whole time, didn't you?”

“Of course I did,” Ren said simply. “I knew the minute you started chirping. This is a ship full of Mers; I know when a sound actually means something. Top marks on the acting though, you are incredibly cute. I can’t figure out why that was your first option though.” He thought for a moment. “So, what was it?” he asked. “Aquarium? ‘Rescue’, private collection?”

Goro scoffed. “I have no obligation to discuss my past with the likes of you.”

“Well spoken. That means you’ve been around humans from birth. Probably not a rescue then,” Ren said, not listening, “and also probably not an aquarium. You would have been much more aggressive, to begin with.”

Goro puffed out in defiance. This man had been in on it the whole time. He let him act the fool. He _laughed_ at him! He tried to struggle free of the man, teeth bared slightly.

Ren’s face fell as he yanked himself out of his loose grip and flopped onto the floor. “You were some rich bastard’s pet, then?”

“Shut up,” Goro replied, doing his best to turn his back on him.

“Sorry…I shouldn’t have said anything,” Ren said, in an almost comforting tone.

“You’re absolutely right. That’s private.” Goro pouted, crossing his arms, from his place on the floor.

Ren’s face was soft. From this angle, Goro noticed that he had a slight underbite. “You must have been terrified,” he said.

Goro snarled. How dare he? “No, I wasn’t!” he yelled. “And even if I was, I don't need your sympathy. First, you let me make a fool of myself, then you mock me! What do you take me for?”

“A Mer who’s never seen the ocean,” Ren said smoothly.

Goro lashed out, and Ren caught his hand easily.

“Calm down,” he said softly. “ **Calm down.** ” It was unlike any Oceanic Goro had ever heard. And something about it made his core freeze.

“Everyone on this stupid ship is a Mer,” Goro muttered, “aren’t they?”

“Not everyone,” Ren replied. “Ryuji and Futaba aren’t.”

Ren shifted, draping a blanket over him.

“Sorry,” he said softly, “I didn’t mean to piss you off.”

“Good,” Goro said.

“I liked you more when you were chirping.”

Goro let out a low hiss.

“Well, if you can forgive me, I’ve spent the past week in a tub. Cramped up. Doing nothing but tricks all day. I’m pent up.”

“To be fair, that’s a bit of your own fault," Ren said. “If you had come clean, Ann would have let you stay.”

“Again. Forgive my lack of clairvoyance.”

Ren sighed. He yawned, and rubbed his eye with the back of his hand. “Well. I’m tired, so I'm probably just going to go back to bed. You’re welcome to join me, Chirps."

“My name isn’t Chirps.”

“I don’t know your name,” Ren said simply.

“You never asked,” Goro replied flatly.

“Do you want to cuddle? Or not,” Ren asked. “I can put you back in the tub if you want.”

“No!” Goro replied quickly. “You’re warm. It’s nice.”

“C'mon then,” Ren said, patting the floor next to him. Slowly, Goro slid over, joining him.

“I’ll make a deal,” Goro said carefully. “I’ll tell you my name. And you’ll show me how you got legs.”

Ren laughed. “You could have just asked for that in the first place. It would make this way more comfortable.”

“And I’ll apologize,” Goro said.

“So. Your name?” Ren asked.

He sighed. “Goro.”

“I’m Ren,” Ren replied. “I...know that you already know that, I mean. You’ve been here this whole time. I’m glad I have something to call you, Goro.”

It...was nice to hear someone say his name. Too nice. It felt surreal, forbidden, and too intimate in some way. Especially when it was said by someone holding him.

Goro curled against him. Against the warmth, "Sorry for being mad that you let me embarrass myself for a week.”

“You need to work on your apologies.”

* * *

The next morning, Goro was especially grumpy and uncomfortable. Sleeping like that was not good for his entire body, even if he was kept at a pleasant temperature. Note to self, do not sleep half curled against a body, half in the water, half on the hard ground.

Ren was still out like a light. Goro gradually unwound himself from him, slipping back into the pool as quietly as he could manage. He waited, head poking above the surface, lazaly drifting, stretching. Gradually, Ren began to stir.

Goro trilled sharply, snapping him awake. Ren yawned.

“So. How does this work, exactly?” he asked. “How did you get legs?”

“No good morning?” Ren mused, still shaking the last few dregs of sleep. “You're right down to business, aren't you?”

“I've delayed things long enough,” Goro said. “I want to move.”

“As long as you're willing to wear pants,” Ren teased.

Goro frowned. That's right...if he had legs, he would have to wear clothes, and that...was not the most appealing idea. In his opinion, clothes seemed overly restrictive and complicated to put on, and oftentimes he watched humans remove layers of them just to put them back on later. They didn't even need them most of the time. They kept their body heat without extra layers! They couldn't just be purely cosmetic either; they wouldn't be so ugly half the time if they were. “ _Fine_ ,” he mumbled. If he had to, he would.

“I’m glad,” Ren said. “All right. So...have you ever dried out your tail before?”

Goro stared at him. “No, I don’t have a death wish.”

“Well, that’s the first step,” Ren said. “If you dry out your tail, you get these...semi-legs. They’re still scaled but you can walk with them.”

Huh. It was that simple. If he had known that, he wouldn’t have dragged himself down the hall.

“They’re, erm…” Ren glanced away, a tinge of pink on his face. “It’s mostly for breeding purposes, actually...I mean at least Mers like...like me breed on land. Or...at least shallower water. The pressure is bad for kids.”

“I never asked… Where are you from exactly…?”

“The deep. Some people call it the abyss. I left when I was young, though, so...I don’t remember a lot.”

“Why did you leave?” Goro asked. Legitimately curious.

“My mom,” he explained. “She wanted to go to the surface and she brought me along with her...she had a mate on land. After some time I met Ann and Ryuji and we decided to go off together to see the world. We picked up some other people along the way as well, mostly other Mers.”

“And you decided to become pirates.”

“Who else was going to destroy the Mer trafficking rings? The sea is a vast wasteland. That, and I just like treasure. Especially when you take it from rich people.”

“I didn’t realize that was a large issue,” Goro said. “I thought my mother and I were the outliers.”

“Your mother?” Ren asked. “Was she taken with you?”

“I don't know. I don't remember,” he admitted. “What I do know is she died in captivity.” He casually flicked his fins and stretched. “I wonder why my mother never told me about the legs…”

“I don't know,” Ren said. “It could just be that she didn't see a need. I said they're only pseudo legs. They're not very powerful and they really don't last a long time.”

“So, why do you have them?” he asked,

“Magic,” Ren said simply. “Futaba learned how to do it.”

“Futaba?”

“She's one of the humans on the ship. The one with orange hair. She's a sea witch— Or at least, that's what she calls herself.”

“And I assume she’s the reason that you and everyone else here appears human?”

“Yep.”

Goro frowned. “I like my fins.”

“It's not like they disappear,” Ren said. “They’re just hidden. They'll appear if you decide to go back to the water. It's a temporary transformation, doesn't hurt either.”

“I believe you,” Goro decided. “I want to meet her.”

“Good.”

Ren stood up, and held out his hand. “C’mon then.”

“Are you going to be carrying me?” Goro asked, almost playfully.

“You can look down,” he responded with a chuckle.

Glancing down, he realized that his tail had separated. “Oh.” He took Ren's hand and was pulled to, well, his feet. It felt strange, unbelievably strange. It was unnatural, that part of him was never supposed to support weight. He hadn’t even known that he had legs at all a few minutes ago. He noted that Ren wasn't smirking even slightly, surprising. Goro glared anyway as he tried to take a step. He must have placed his foot awkwardly, because he immediately slipped, clawing at Ren for support.

The asshole giggled softly.

He tried again, managing to keep his feet in place fairly well. He hissed in concentration, moving his other foot carefully and steadily. This was stupid. Absolutely ridiculous.

“Are you sure you still want to keep them permanently?” Ren teased, as if he had read his thoughts.

“If I didn't, I wouldn't have asked,” he replied. “Give me time.”

“At least let me help,” Ren offered. “Focus less on your feet themselves and more on where you're going, it will help with balance.”

“And what if I step on or in something?”

“Usually you’ll figure that out quickly. C’mon now, if we don't get going you're going to start scratching at yourself.”

* * *

Allegedly, Futaba was not awake this early in the morning. According to Ren, she went on long binges of productivity between midnight to three and then immediately crashed afterwards. It was unclear when she would actually wake up.

“You should have told me that before I stumbled my way up here,” Goro snarked. “You’re right. I’m starting to itch.”

“If we’re lucky. Makoto will bring her out— Don’t scratch. You’ll pull your own scales out and they’ll start to flake.”

“Fine.” He pulled his legs up, tucking them under himself like a cat, and brought himself closer to the heat source that was Ren.

A few minutes later, a dark-haired, muscular woman emerged, holding a smaller one in her arms, still wearing full pajamas. Makoto and Futaba, he realized.

Futaba was still fast asleep, snoring against Makoto's arm.

“Futaba. You need to wake up,” she said bluntly. “You’re not allowed to sleep all day.”

Futaba snored loudly.

Makoto sighed, before eyeing him up and down. “You have legs,” she noted.

As Makoto set her down, Ren poked Futaba. “Hey,” he said. He poked her again. “Futaba. Makoto is right, you need to wake up.”

With an obnoxious groan, Futaba rolled over, before sticking her tongue out at him. “Guys. Seriously,” she yawned. “Seven isn’t a reasonable time to wake up!”

“Tell that to Goro,” Ren teased, pointing at him. “He’s the one who insisted on meeting you.”

“Oh, so you got his name?” Futaba asked. “It's about time. So I’m guessing he wants legs too?”

Goro nodded.

“Fine, fine, I grabbed the stuff,” she said. “Is he dry?”

“I’ve made sure of that,” Ren said.

“And no scars or cuts, right?”

Ren looked at him, and Goro rolled his eyes. “Not that I’ve noticed.”

“AHAH, HE SPEAKS!” she declared.

“Yes. Of course I can,” he said. “Did you think I couldn’t?”

“You’ve been doing nothing but trilling since you got here,” Futaba said. “I mean, I don’t care, but I didn’t know if you could or not.”

“I can also read.”

“Damn, fancy,” she snarked. “Actually…now that I think about it. Your Japanese...” She trailed off, seemingly lost in thought. “Where are you from?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“Actually, I would.”

“You should tell her, you know,” Ren offered. “She’ll find out on her own anyway.”

“That’s right,” she said, smirking. “I know my way around information. And a laptop...wait, you don’t—“

“I know what a laptop is,” he said indignantly. “I’m not unaware of humans and their machines, or their language.”

“Languages,” Futaba corrected. “Humans have way more than one.”

“That sounds excessive; why would you _need_ more than one?”

“It’s...not really a need thing,” she started, clearly struggling with the question. “It's more? People just made up their own languages and they were different?”

That sounded like an excuse to him. Why would people make up a language? It would make it impossible for someone to understand you. And why did one person get to decide what that language was? It over-complicated things!

“Why would...humans not make a language everyone understood?” he asked. “You can go across the sea and all sea life speaks the same language.”

“It’s not that easy. People in general like to over-complicate things. And a lot of them are selfish. You get it, right?”

“So they’re selfish with their language as well as property,” Goro mused.

“Man, I didn’t want to get philosophical at seven A.M,” Futaba said. “I don’t even want to be awake right now.”

“To be fair, you were the one to bring up humans having multiple languages,” Makoto said.

“You’re supposed to be on my side!” Futaba said. “And I wasn’t the one that was flexing about knowing all human languages!”

“I was not,” Goro said. “I simply said I knew what a laptop is.”

“Because you know language!”

“I just imitated what I heard! Isn’t that how humans learn language?” he hissed, flaring slightly.

“All right, enough,” Ren said. “Calm down, both of you.”

The two of them pouted, but relented. Goro curled tighter, scratching at his leg.

“Don’t do that,” Ren said. “You’ll regret it when they’re not covered in scales. You do want that, right?”

“Yes,” he replied. “Preferably sooner than later so I can go back inside. It’s frigid. Unless your magic can change the season.”

Futaba yawned. “I should mix some sand in with the magic baby powder for this one.”

“Futaba, be nice.”

Futaba rolled her eyes, before getting up and darting off, returning shortly holding a bag of something. She reached into it, and threw a fistful at him.

“Poggers!”

Before he had the time to ponder what “poggers” could possibly mean, the entirety of his lower body began to tingle, starting from his stomach than spreading lower. It was warm, pleasant at first, but then it grew hotter, a dull ache. He grit his teeth. it wasn’t painful, not by a long shot, but it was incredibly uncomfortable. It burned the way muscles did when you pushed them to their limit. He watched the pseudo legs’ scales fade away, leaving only flesh. Flesh melding into flesh. Ren quickly dropped a towel over his hips.

“Wrap that around you until we can get you a pair of pants.”

Goro hissed, but ultimately complied, and shakily, he stood. _Legs, he had proper legs._

He attempted to take a breath, opening his mouth and letting the air be drawn inside. _Oh god, he hated this._ Human breathing sucked. He absolutely preferred gills. The next thing he immediately regretted losing were the face fins. His ears felt exposed. The next was all the magic powder that had flown into his mouth, sending him into a coughing fit.

“Why did you throw it at my face!” he wheezed.

“I could have thrown it anywhere. But you’re a meanie. So. Magic pocket sand,” Futaba replied simply. “It’ll clean up eventually.”

Meanie? “What did I do?!”

“I mean… you can just use your nose.”

_His what?_

“Do I have to breathe like this forever?” he asked.

“Again. Nose.”

_Again. His what?!_

“Have you not realized that you’ve been breathing normally this whole time?” Makoto asked.

“I HAD GILLS!”

“Yeah those… only work in water?” Makoto said.

“And?”

Makoto stared at him, dumbfounded. Probably because he had won the argument. But he could have sworn he heard her quietly mumble, “Even I wasn’t this bad.” Bad at what? Knowing gills existed?

“What was in the powder?” he asked.

“Baby powder, sand, magic and Mer scales.”

Goro ignored the possibility that Futaba had kept powdered babies somewhere, then he asked, “Mer scales?”

“Oh yeah. Inari sheds a lot. He cries a lot about his art and they fly all over the place.”

“That doesn’t sound healthy.”

“He’s fine. Sometimes scales fall out; they’ll grow back.”

That can’t be right. He didn’t recall them falling out for him. He made an anxious noise from the back of his throat. “If you say so…” He tried to stand up. He needed to get someplace warm before he froze to death.

“Woah woah! Towel, towel! No one wants to see that!” Futaba screeched, jumping up to hide behind Makoto, who was hiding her own eyes.

“Please put something on,” she said.

Seeing Goro’s confusion, Ren put a hand on his shoulder. “Humans wear something over their...you know,” he offered not-so-helpfully. “And it will be warmer.”

Warmer. Warmer was good. He let out a low noise as he considered it.

“Fine,” he said. “I don’t understand how you can stand it otherwise.”

“Oh… I forgot that tropical Mers are cold blooded…” Makoto said. “It’s not as cold to us because we’re hot normally. Sometimes the cold can even be refreshing.”

Goro made a face of obvious disgust.

* * *

Goro was clearly uncomfortable with both the act of wearing clothes, and the clothes that had been chosen.

“Sorry,” Ren said. “Yusuke’s were the only ones that fit.”

“They’re restrictive.”

“I know. That's how he likes them.”

Goro huffed, and crossed his arms.

“So, I wanted to ask if you wanted to join us for dinner.”

“Join you? What do you mean?” he asked. “Do you not just eat when you’re hungry?”

“Well... I mean, we can if we want,” Ren explained, “but lots of… people in general prefer to eat together.”

Goro made a face, and Ren prepared himself for his snarky curiosity.

“Why would they? Do you find something appealing about the sound of other people chewing? Or is it that you like sharing food?”

“The latter is more accurate,” Ren said. “It's the company. I mean...you don't have to if you don't want to. Actually, now that I think about it, you would probably just embarrass yourself. Humans eat differently.”

“Embarrass myself or everyone else…?” he replied. “There's nothing wrong with the way I eat.”

“Well, you should join us once at least,” Ren said. “Even if it's just for hot food and the company. You really should try eating cooked food! It's better for you.”

“Cooked food…” he mused. “I’ve never had that.” Goro sat down, curling in on himself like he did when he still had a tail, and stared at the wall.

“Dinner isn’t until later. Not everyone’s even awake yet,” Ren said. “Are you used to meals?”

“Not really,” Goro said. “When I was on the ship, they fed me at their own convenience. When I was on my own, I ate when I pleased. And you know how I ate up to this point.”

“Ravenously.”

“I didn’t know if you would cut me off.”

“We wouldn’t do that,” Ren said. “Then again, you had no way of knowing that. That’s why I want you to come and eat with us. We may be pirates, but we’re good people.”

“They’re strange,” Goro replied bluntly.

“I don’t think you’re a bad person either,” Ren continued. “You're just very rough around the edges.”

“Am I really?” Goro responded. “I haven’t exactly shown that, have I? I’ve been rude and deceitful. Those aren’t qualities of someone pure of heart.”

“I said good person. Not a saint. And you may not have done anything good yet, but you haven’t done anything bad either. Believe me, I’ve seen bad people. So has Ann. So hang out with us. You were the one huffing about being cramped.”

“Yes, well—” Goro spluttered. “Well. Now I'm not! So there. Your friends are all insane.”

“Why are you so against this?” Ren asked.

“Why are you so adamant?” Goro countered. “What do you want from me?”

Ren frowned. “To be your friend,” he said. “I just...get being all lost and alone, and fine, I’ll admit it. You won me over with your chirping. You play the part well. So I want to learn more about you. But I figured everyone else would too. We could all share stories over a meal.”

“Your reasoning gets longer each time I ask,” Goro grumbled, and he was pouting. “Is that the reason? The real reason?”

“Yes. It is,” Ren said firmly. “How about this. Do you want to make another deal?”

“What kind of deal?” It was a lot harder to read Goro when he had no fins.

“I’ll start teaching you how to use utensils. And...you can tell me more about yourself.”

Goro considered it for a moment. “How about just an overall quid pro quo? I get to ask questions about your world, and you can ask about mine,” he said. “I’ll go along with your plans. Does that sound reasonable?”

Ren wanted to know where a fish learned the term “quid pro quo”. He nodded.

“I can work with that,” he said. “I'll even start. I'll show you how to use chopsticks first. They’re harder to use and the only people who fuss about how to hold a fork correctly are the type of person we steal from.”

* * *

Goro was trying. He could give him that. The way his expression scrunched as he carefully tried to control the chopsticks. Poorly… Maybe he should have started with something easier, but the look on Goro’s face told him that if he suggested anything other than to keep trying, he might try and eat _him_ next. So Ren just had to sit there guiltily as Goro hissed in frustration.

“It's because I'm not used to having separate fingers,” he growled under his breath. “That's all.”

Ren suppressed a chuckle. “Stop gripping them so hard. You might break them.”

“If these are meant to reduce mess, It would be cleaner to eat with my hands.”

“Do you want to take a break?” Ren asked. “I could tell you a story instead.”

“And we can eat real food?” Goro asked, instantly perking up. Cute.

“Sure. Do you want to go raid the kitchen?”

“I've already done that.”

“Want to do it again?”

“Is that really okay?” Goro asked.

“Yeah, it isn't a problem. As long as we don’t take too much.”

“Good, because I'm starving.”

One trip to the kitchen and back, with enough snacks to form a lunch, and a single fish that Goro was happily nibbling at. He’d get him to try warm food that night.

“I believe that you said you would tell me more about yourself,” Goro said.

“Slow down,” Ren replied, taking a seat again. “I want to get settled first.”

“Fine,” Goro said, continuing to pick at the fish.

Ren sat down and joined him.

“So...yeah.” It was awkward. Really really awkward. “I was captured once,” he started. “My mom and I used to live at the bottom of the ocean. Abyssal Mers are built to withstand the pressure and cold. But mom was in love with a human, so she wanted to live closer to the surface… We got separated and I was dragged off to a ‘reservation’.”

“Reservation?” Goro asked. “It was your version of a tank, then?”

“In a way. It was open, but… I wasn't like anyone else there. I was too big, and it wasn't run properly either. The place was filthy deep down, mostly just held Mers until they were sold to another place. Eventually I got away when Ann and Ryuji raided the place.” He was speaking quickly, not wanting to linger on the harder parts of the story. It was a little unfair to Goro; many of the crew had been there when he was saved, so he was getting the ‘TL;DR’ version as Futaba would say.

“What...happened to your mother?” Goro asked. And his heart fell. Of course he would ask that.

“I...don't know…” he admitted. “I...like to think that she found her mate. She was really nice. Mom was always smiling around her.”

“That’s lucky…” Goro said.

Ren cringed, and Goro shook his head.

“It's fine,” he said. “I’m...happy for her, if that's the case.”

“Your mom...she..meant a lot to you, I'm guessing,” Ren said, before immediately realizing how awkward that must have sounded, but Goro still just nodded.

“She was all I had… She told me stories about the outside world. It's..part of the reason I wanted to escape so badly…”

“That's sweet…”

“Did your mom tell you stories as well?” Goro asked.

“Yeah, she told me some...a lot were about her mate, if i'm being honest.”

“She had a bias.”

“Yeah. Yeah, she did,” Ren admitted, “but she also told me stories about the surface! About where she had traveled to and how things were up on land.”

“She sounds like a good mom.”

“She was,” he said. “I know she loved me a lot… I really miss her.”

“I miss my mom, too.”

“That’s a sad thing to have in common,” Ren said. Goro let out a sigh.

“I’m like a darker version of you,” he said. “I’d rather not know my mother’s fate than know she’s dead.”

“And now it sounds corny,” Ren replied. “Sorry. I’m not trying to make fun of you.”

“You can be a real ass when you want to be,” Goro said, deadpan.

“I said I'm sorry!”

The door opened behind them, and in walked Makoto, followed shortly by Ann and Futaba.

“Oh. You two are already here,” Makoto said, sitting down at the table.

“We've been here all day, actually,” Ren said. “I'm probably going to turn in early tonight.”

Goro frowned. Not quite entirely sure why.

“Well.. that's good at least,” Makoto said. “What's the status on supplies? We should make a stop soon, but I want to know how much of a rush we should be in.”

“I checked the food stores earlier when we stopped for lunch,” Ren said. “We have enough general supplies to take it easy, and I can always hunt for more than usual if it becomes an issue. We bought too much last stop, remember?”

“Of course I do,” Makoto replied. “I was actually going to request not to get too much surplus this time. We don’t want another stowaway. Speaking of which.” She turned to Goro. “What is your plan from now on?”

Goro frowned. “Plan?”

“I was just curious if you had thought about your future at all.”

No… No, he hadn’t. That wasn't even a fair question. For the last few weeks he didn't have time to consider anything but survival. He shook his head.

“I’m sorry,” she said, “I probably shouldn't have asked.”

He looked away. The hidden meaning was obvious. He was a liability, just as he suspected.

“Makoto, he's sad now!” Ann interjected. “We weren't trying to rush you! I just wanted to make sure that we weren't holding you up from any potential plans, that you're free to go at any time! Not that you _need_ to leave—”

“R-Right!” Makoto said. “There's open rooms and no rush! But another person also means more supplies and I just wanted to be on the same page.”

He relaxed, not realizing how tensed his shoulders were. How strange.

“You're giving me a room?” he asked.

“Duh,” Ann said. “And it is heated. Don't worry about that. One of us can show you where it is.”

“And where the complimentary shampoo is,” Futaba said, “and how to use it. It makes your hair all soft and fluffy like Renren’s.”

“So he cheats to make himself more attractive?”

“It's not cheating; most people do it. Washing your hair is just a thing people do.”

“I wouldn't know that,” Goro said. “The only humans I've seen other than you had no hair.”

“I knew that, that's why I'm telling you!” Futaba said. “Well, not the bald thing, but that you've clearly never used this stuff.” She laughed.

Goro scowled, and she laughed again, before holding out her hand. “C'mon!”

He let Futaba drag him down the hall and lead him to a door.

The room was simple and pleasantly warm. A bed was pressed against one corner, and there was a door against the opposite wall. A bathroom, he assumed. Some other furniture littered the floor, but other than that the room was totally empty.

“Washing my hair would mean that I would have to get wet, wouldn't it?” he asked. “I would rather not inhale sand again.”

“Yeah, you're going to have to get used to it,” Futaba said. “Eventually the magic wears off and I don't think people will like it if you never take a bath. I'm sure Ren would like it if you were all fluffy and smelled nice. He likes when things smell nice.”

“But my tail…”

"You'll get legs when you dry off again, dumdum.” She laughed, turning to leave. “Careful to not get any soap in your eyes; it's not the no-tears kind. Dinner’s in an hour! Probably!”

And with that, he was left alone. He carefully sat on the edge of the bed. So this place was his? It left a pleasant feeling in his chest. _His._

Against his better judgement, he did decide to take a bath. He relished in the comfort of having his face fins back. He was going to miss having them permanently. Taking Futaba's words to heart, he squeezed his eyes shut when washing his hair, following the instructions Ann left carefully.

Ann had also left a hairbrush and a collection of other strange things on the bathroom counter, and as he waited to finally dry off he rewove the ornaments from earlier into his hair.

He let out a contented purr. He looked...nice.

Maybe...things would be okay. Maybe underneath all of the crassness was a group that could be soft-spoken. Maybe. He would have to see.

* * *

Dinner didn't change Goro’s opinion at all. The crew was a rowdy bunch. It was..slightly overwhelming. It seemed like there were five separate conversations all going on at once, both individually, and occasionally intertwined as someone threw their own opinion into the mix. To the left he heard Makoto raving to Futaba about how ‘Mers can’t be classified as fish because they have digits,’ to which the smaller girl brought up the fact that ‘the existence of tropical and abyssal Mers flew in the face of science’. Goro couldn't help but agree with Ann, who interjected to say Mers were ‘mythical creatures and didn't have to abide by the laws of nature and science.’ The more he learned about science the stranger it seemed.

To his right, Yusuke was in a heated argument with Ryuji, who grew more frustrated with his every word.

“Drinking paint water is a vital part of being an artist. It reminds us that we are mortal. That we will never capture the true meaning of humanity,” Yusuke explained.

“Dude. It's paint water.”

“It is a reminder of humanity's hubris.”

“YOU AIN'T EVEN A HUMAN!” Ryuji shouted.

“Humanity is a construct.”

“You aren't making any sense, dude. Besides, why do we need to be reminded of our bones?”

Ren laughed. And Ryuji turned to him, face red.

“What! Hubris is a bone right‽”

“Sure,” Ren said, still laughing, “we’ll go with that.”

“Then why do I need to know about it?” Ryuji demanded.

“Because you will be undone by it,” Yusuke replied.

“You still ain’t making any sense!”

“Hubris isn't a bone, it’s a concept,” Goro said. “It's exaggerated self-pride.”

With an indignant “hurumph”, Yusuke pulled out a book, surveying the picture there. It looked like some kind of building, but the way it was drawn… It was like he was looking at a photograph.

“That’s nice…” Goro said carefully. “Did you draw it yourself?”

“Of course!” Yusuke said. “ I’m not sure if I could capture it’s beauty correctly.”

“What is it?” he asked.

“It’s a temple near my old home,” he explained. “I have many fond memories of the place. I find my mind often wanders to those days.”

“I think it looks pretty.”

“Yes...and that's it…” Yusuke sighed. “It's nothing but aesthetic.”

“Is that a problem?” Goro asked.

“In a way. The real temple, you could feel all of the culture. The years of Mer history all within that structure. I’m not sure if there’s a Japanese word for it.”

He let out a sound, both soft and melodic. He recognized it as Oceanic at the very least, but he was ashamed to not know enough of the language to understand the word. Yusuke saw his confusion.

“I suppose a translation would be...the feeling you get when you walk into a place that's full of history, or the energy the place holds.”

“I see…”

“This is just a picture,” he said. “It lacks that energy… I’m not able to capture it quite yet.”

“Why is that so important?” he asked. Yusuke tilted his head, confused.

“Aesthetic without purpose is meaningless,” he said.

“I wouldn't say pointless—”

“No. You don't understand,” Yusuke interrupted. “If something just looks pretty, it serves no other purpose than that. If something serves both a practical and aesthetic purpose, it is both beautiful visually, and in its purpose. Take Ren for example—”

“I'm sorry, why am I the example?” he asked.

“Dammit, Ren, you're hot and you know it,” Futaba pouted.

“I mean, yes—” he cut himself off quickly, before turning on her. “Wait, why are you siding with Yusuke?”

“Inari is just an unwitting pawn in my revenge scheme,” she said. “Consider it payback for waking me up early.”

“So your punishment for me is an ego boost.”

“Exactly. It would be rude for you to get up and leave while Inari is spending so much time gushing about how you're ‘a peak example of the wonders of Abyssal Mers.’ Wouldn’t it, Ren?”

“Chaining me here with my own standards. You're evil.”

“And that's why you love me.” Futaba smirked.

“You're all impossible,” Goro sighed, bringing attention back to him. “You're all...so strange.”

“Yes, but is the food good?” Ren asked.

“You're all hopeless,” Goro said, shaking his head, but he couldn't help laughing along with the rest of them.

* * *

Day by day, a feeling grew in his chest. A hunger, he realized.

He missed his tail. And he really missed freely swimming. He’d gotten a small taste of it when he first escaped the ship, finally fully able to uncoil himself, but he had lost that feeling the minute he gained legs. It wasn’t the same. When he wasn’t watching the crew or asking them any question he could think of, he was holed up someplace warm. Alone. It left a heavy hole in his chest. Alongside that other nagging feeling...

Something was missing

He missed thrills, he decided. He missed gracefully spiraling through the water. Then, admittedly quite clumsily, darting out to catch a fish in his hands or mouth. He had pride, but he wasn’t an idiot. Goro knew he was a bad hunter. It wasn’t his fault he had no practice. All the food he had caught had been luck or practically handed to him.

Makoto's words rang out in his head as well. “ _What are your plans after this?_ ”

He slipped through the halls. One thing he _had_ gotten skilled at was time. He easily learned the schedules and general routines of the ship's inhabitants and had them committed to memory. Soon, Ren would be up and about like he was every day. He'd been surprised to learn that Ren was a so-called “night owl”, preferring to sleep during the day if he could. Which meant that he had adjusted his schedule entirely for _him_. Either way, Ren was going to help him now.

He soon reached the lower decks, where Ren was straightening out a net.

“You’re here,” he said, trying to hide the hint of joy in his voice.

“Oh, Goro,” Ren said. “Yeah, I am...but what are _you_ doing down here, stealing more fish?”

“Ha. Very funny.” Goro crossed his arms. “No, I'm here to do the opposite. You hunt, right? You go in and catch fish. I want to help.”

“You want me to teach you how to hunt. Don't you?”

“Yes…” he admitted. “Preferably the way Mers learn to do it.”

“Well, I can show you both. I like to mix it up,” Ren replied, handing him one of the nets. “Here, hold this. We'll need it.”

Goro sighed.

“Don’t look down,” Ren teased. “It's not for what you think it is.” He grabbed a net himself.

“Then what is it for?” he grumbled.

“You'll see!” Ren teased. “Okay, maybe it is, but not as much.”

He led Goro back up to the deck and over to the side of the ship. He grabbed a series of ropes and offered them to him. “Here. We're going to hook the net up. To these ropes, and then we'll jump in.”

“Oh…” Goro said. “I see.”

Ren sat down against the edge of the boat and began to take off his shoes.

“You should take yours off, too,” he said, gesturing to his shirt and pants.

“Yes, you're right,” Goro agreed, fumbling with his shirt.

Ren began to unbutton his shirt, before sliding it off smoothly and folding it. He set it carefully aside before doing the same with his pants. He grabbed the net and threw it over the side, before turning to Goro.

“You're staring,” he said, with a smirk.

“I don't know what you’re talking about,” Goro replied, a little too quickly.

And with that, Ren laughed, before diving off the side of the ship and into the water. Goro dove after him. In seconds he was breathing through gills again, and he embraced the wonderful feeling of being surrounded by water all over again. He breathed a sigh of relief as his tail reformed. He turned quickly, scanning the water for Ren.

“ **Over here** ,” Ren called, his voice was rougher underwater, harsher. Goro swam to his side.

Ren was powerful-looking, and built like a shark. Compared to him, Ren’s tail was short, but visibly much more powerful; in a way, it was muscular. A jagged black and red fin ran from the top of his back down the tailfin, equally as stiff looking. It was terrifying. It was beautiful. His scales were black for the most part, the only color being bright red along the tips of the fins.

But that wasn’t the strange part. The strange part was...just how large he was. And…it almost seemed like he was growing. No... He was. Goro watched, mystified, as Ren grew half as big as the ship.

He felt very small now. Ren could hold most of his own body in his hands. If Goro curled up? He could cup him comfortably between them.

“ _You…_ ” He didn’t know where to start. _How are you this big? What do you eat? Are all abyssal Mers whale sized?_ He stumbled over himself in his mind. “ _Big._ ”

“ **Yeah**.” Ren smirked, his words switching to a deep, yet soft rumble. “ **You should see your face.** ”

Goro flexed his fins, before releasing a stream of bubbles aggressively. Ren let out a snort of laughter.

“ **C’mon,** ” he said, “ **you wanted me to show you how I hunt, right?** ”

 _“I wanted you to show me how to hunt...but you’re too big for that._ ”

“ **You’re right. Here.** ” Ren dove underneath him slightly. “ **Hold onto me. It’ll help you stay warm as well.** ”

 _“The ocean can’t always be this cold,_ ” he hissed. “ _It can’t be._ ”

“ **Well. It’s autumn now. Of course it’s cold. The ocean cools down this time of year, but it will warm up in a few months,** ” Ren growled. “ **I can't imagine how it must feel for someone cold-blooded.** ”

“ _It sucks_ ,” Goro hissed. “ _My first time in the ocean was absolute hell. I thought I was going to die… It was so cold._ ” He shuddered. “ _I realized I wasn’t nearly as cut out for the outside world as I thought…_ ”

“ **You didn't find a pod?** ” Ren asked.

“ _I didn’t know what to look for. I just knew I needed to get away. But it took...time for my body to actually move._ ”

“ **I'm sure it was worse for you because you were used to a certain temperature,** ” Ren said. “ **You should still hang on to my back. Make sure you hold the net, too.** ”

“ _Right…_ ”

He quickly made his way onto his back. Ren was...incredibly warm. He shouldn't have been surprised by this; he had been pressed against him multiple times already, but it was different when he was this size. And now that he was in the presence of warmth...the frigid ocean wasn't so bad.

“ **Remember to hold on tight**!” Ren called, and with that he was off. Ren was well-built, so of course he was fast. With the first swish of his tail, Goro felt himself buckle forward, and he scrambled for a tighter hold, gripping onto one of Ren's fins with all his might, but once they were actually going, the ride was incredibly smooth.

Goro took some time to admire the view around him. The sunlight filtered through the water in smooth rays. It made the ocean feel warmer. The schools of fish swimming through the reefs were beautiful, all of the colors were more than Goro has ever seen. Ren was humming a soft tune as he sped along through the water the slight current being nothing to him. In a matter of minutes the ship was out of sight, and Ren finally slowed down and searched around.

He stiffened, and Goro made a short, confused chirp as Ren let out a low growl.

“ _Are you okay?_ ” Goro chirped, and Ren made a noise as if to shush him. Ren grinned.

Goro slid along his back to the base of his neck. Another growl; Now that he was closer, he began to realize why they might need a net.

Ren was a predator: he was fast, sharp, precise. His teeth were massive, each being about the size of his forearm at least. Something his size could take on any other ocean predator with ease... or at least the ones Goro knew about. For something this big to feed itself, it needed to eat a lot. There must be some larger unknown creatures at the bottom of the ocean. Maybe Mers were not even the top of the food chain down there. He shuddered at the thought.

But that was the problem. Ren was too big to hunt. He couldn't kill something cleanly; he could grab or bite but he would most likely reduce the creature to a red pulp.

“ **Want to know a tip?** ” Ren asked, softly. “ **You want to keep the fish alive. They're fresher when we eat them, and they don’t go bad as quickly.** ”

“ _How would you do that?_ ” Goro spat back. “ _You’ll just end up scaring them all away._ ”

“ **Why would I?** ” Ren teased. “ **We’re ambush predators.** ”

Ren stared out across the sea. He blinked slowly. His fins moved in a slow creeping rhythm. Apart from that, he was utterly and completely still. Goro wasn't sure how long they waited, but the ocean seemed to flow around them, like they were a rock, like they weren't even there.

“ **You’ll need to set up the nets soon** ,” Ren purred. “ **You’re smaller. You’ll draw less attention to yourself.** ”

“ _Right,_ ” He let out a stream of bubbles. “ _Where do you want it?_ ”

Ren slowly extended a finger and pointed towards an outcropping of rocks a little ways in the distance. Goro nodded, snaking his way over. With a little direction from Ren, he was able to set the net easily… He felt foolish, but ultimately there was a purpose for it, and he couldn't stay mad. He curled up on himself, and watched Ren.

A school of fish had come over, almost circling his nose. Ren smiled again, wide and toothy.

He winked.

And then he darted forward, bringing his arms around cutting off their escape route, channeling them in Goro’s direction. He brought up the net quickly.

The fish were funneled into the net and it was quickly closed.

“ **Good job. I didn’t even need to give you a signal. I guess some instincts just work,** ” Ren rumbled, it was a very nice sound, almost like his trilling, but deeper. More like a song.

“ _How did you manage to keep them still and push them that way?_ ” Goro asked.

“ **It's a skill of mine,** ” Ren purred. His eyes were very pretty; they almost sparkled...like red jewels.

Goro shivered, and he quickly swam back to Ren, who took him into his hands. Goro chirped happily.

“ **You don't have to keep up that act anymore, you know.** ”

“ _I know, who said it's an act?_ ” Goro said. “ _I can chirp if I want to. And I want to right now._ ” He chirped again, slipping between Ren’s fingers to press himself against his face.

“ **You’re forward,** ” Ren laughed. “ **Let's get back, it’ll be dark soon.** ”

“ _Yes. Let’s_ ,” Goro said, letting Ren gently cup his hands around him, net looped around a finger. And with that, they were off, speeding back to the ship. Ren's hands were much more comfortable than his back.

Together they brought the haul back aboard the ship. The dust apparently just needed for them to be dry, or in Ren’s case, mostly dry, to turn them back to humans. As Ren pulled his shirt back on, Goro noticed the odd way his jaw sat. So that's where the teeth went. Made sense, magic couldn’t turn a Mer half the size of a ship completely human without some setbacks, he supposed.

“Have you decided if you're going to stay or not?” Ren asked. Goro started to shake his head but stopped.

“I'd prefer not to think about that right now, I'd rather you hold me more.”

“Yep...you're definitely forward, aren't you?” Ren said.

He smirked. “Like you said, some instincts just work.”

Ren laughed. “All right,” he said. “Just let me store these and we'll do it after dinner, all right?”

“Sure.”

Ren hoisted the net over his shoulder, and Goro watched him go, heart beating faster in his chest.

* * *

Some people may have called it weakness. Without the warmth of others, he literally couldn't survive. They would have chastised and looked down upon him for being nothing more than a glorified pet, bound there by his own inability to live on his own.

But by saying that, it would only reveal how blind they were. Life wasn't survival, but it wasn't being a pet either, nor was it perfection. Philosophy, the future, reflecting on yourself and changing. That was part of being alive.

He wasn’t bound by weakness. He was bound by other things, his own emotions. Leaving this ship and its crew would destroy him. He knew that. Not because he was weak, but because they were the first thing he ever had. The crew had seen how vulnerable he was, and they hadn't taken advantage of it. They let him decide the speed. They offered him a home without any expectations of repayment. It would be pure stupidity to throw that away.

Ann with her kind heart and self-care advice, Futaba's wild energy and ridiculous debates with Makoto. Ryuji’s oddly endearing stupidity, Yusuke's...insights on culture and art...

And Ren...no one else was quite like him. He was the most stand out. Snarky and playful, and yet genuine and dashing...No words he knew could describe what he felt. Maybe Yusuke had a point when he said aesthetics without purpose were useless.

Well...if he couldn't tell, he would show, and he had a decent place to start. But he would need to act quickly… He would need to repay Ann even more than he already did if this worked out.

* * *

Out on the sea the sky was dazzlingly clear, the stars and moon speckled throughout shone and twinkled brightly, as if they were comforting him personally. Reminding him that he was free. Other than the ocean itself, they had been the first thing he had seen off the ship. It was quite the fitting backdrop. He pulled the still warm blanket around himself. He had time before it cooled.

He waited, watching the waves try to reach the moon, humming the song Ren had been singing while they hunted.

“The stars are beautiful tonight.”

Goro turned, Ren was there, just as he expected him to be, another blanket in hand.

“Indeed, they are,” Goro replied.

“Do you mind if we talk?” Ren asked, sitting down next to him.

“Not at all,” he said. “I actually wanted to talk to you, as well.”

“You did?” Ren said, “Well, I guess this works out for both of us. Do you want to go first?”

“And ruin this view?” Goro teased. Despite that, he patted beside him on the ground, gesturing for Ren to join him.

“I don't see how talking would ruin the view,” Ren replied, sitting down. “The stars will always be there.”

“They will?” Goro asked. He had yet to actually ask anyone what they were.

“Yeah, they're amazing. When I first saw the sky, I was amazed at just how much of the world I missed out on.”

“That's right. You lived deep underwater for a long time,” Goro said.

Ren chuckled. “The sun…the moon… It’s all so beautiful, and we didn’t have anything like it down there. The only light comes from other’s eyes. Again, I was amazed by how beautiful they were. Have you heard of constellations?”

“No.”

“Well,” Ren began. “Different stars can be seen at different times of the year because...reasons. But it’s always consistent with the year. So people found patterns in them and used them to tell stories or to find their way.”

“Reasons?” Goro asked, genuinely intrigued.

“It’s...because the earth is round, and is traveling through space, and as it spins, different stars can be seen.” Ren said.

“...I’m sorry, what?” Goro said. “Please tell me you're making this up.”

Ren paled. “I’m...not,” he said. “It's science…apparently.”

“Ah. Science. I suppose humans came up with that rubbish then?” Goro said.

“Do you have a better explanation?”

“No, but it surely can't be something as ridiculous as living on a ball floating and spinning in a void.”

“I can't believe you.”

Goro scowled. “I can't believe you, either. I was going to actually give you something before you started spouting nonsense about the earth being a giant ball,” he said. “Science is making me reconsider it.”

“Jeez, we had a thing going,” Ren said. “Then you ruined it.”

“Did I really, though?”

“A little, yeah.”

“You're the worst,” Goro said flatly. “But, I realized something. I...have no desire to live in the human world.”

Ren snorted. “I never got the idea that you did,” he said.

“Yes,” Goro continued. “Their customs and society as a whole seem absolutely ridiculous. I want no part of that. Not only that...but I wouldn’t have a place to belong. I would most likely end up where I started, trapped and alone.”

“I...can't say I disagree,” Ren admitted. “I really can't picture you settling down and getting a job. Or a formal education. That’s...actually what I wanted to talk to you about.”

“You wanted to talk about my future,” Goro replied.

“Yeah,” Ren said, “I...wanted to ask if you would be willing to stay and become a permanent part of the crew. And..if you said no, I wanted to at least give you this.” Ren dug around in his pockets, before pulling out something. He held it tightly in his hand. “It’s… Umm, well, I noticed you didn't have one,” he began. “It's a protective necklace. Usually your family gives you one, but your mom didn't have a chance, I'm assuming. I wanted you to have one if you were leaving, at least.”

It had a thin black cord, shark teeth and shells strung along it and knotted elaborately into place.

Goro stared at him. “Well, this is quite the awkward situation.”

“Awkward?”

“I was going to ask the same thing,” he admitted, “and...I was going to gift you the same thing as well.” He pulled out his own necklace, less well-made but with significantly less teeth and more glass, and held it out to Ren. “I was going to ask to stay regardless.”

“You were?”

“Yes, I already said. On land I would be lost and alone. In the sea I would be the same way. So why would I not want to stay here?”

Ren laughed, relieved. “That makes sense.” He took the necklace from Goro’s hand. “And this is beautiful. I love it.”

“I’m...glad,” Goro admitted. “I had Ann explain how to make one. I wanted to thank you. For helping me and spending time with me. It's been fun. I really like spending time with you...specifically.”

“So you're staying?” Ren asked excitedly. “Please tell me you're staying.”

“Of course I am. Did I not just say I wanted to?” Goro replied indignantly. “I've grown fond of this place, and the people who inhabit it...especially you. You helped me when you didn't have to… I was a stowaway and a thief, but you offered me your food and...affection.” He cooed nervously. “It's strange. Even if I had a place to go back to, I don't think I would want to go back. I can't name it.”

Ren wrapped an arm around him. “I know what that feels like exactly. I think the feeling you're looking for is ‘affection ’.”

“You're right. Once again.”

He leaned against Ren. The future was awkward. So incredibly awkward. Then again, for the longest time, he didn't even know he had one. He could keep learning here. He could keep moving forward here. Here, he at least had a future.

“I love you,” he said. “And all of you guys...but mostly you.”

“Huh?” Ren looked at him, and Goro pressed closer to him.

“I'm asking you to teach me about human courtship rituals,” he teased. “I still have a lot to learn, don't I?”

“Damn…” Ren laughed. “Of course I’ll show you. Do you want to start now?”

“I don't see why we shouldn’t,” he said.

Ren leaned forward, pressing his lips to Goro’s forehead, “I’m...really glad you chose to stay,” he whispered.

“I am, too.”

Here? He had a home and a place to belong.

**Author's Note:**

> Finally finished this! :) you can find the amazing art made for this fic by @luna_kai_lv6 on twitter, specifically here --> https://twitter.com/luna_kai_lv6/status/1293645829702656003?s=20


End file.
